iPad mini iPad mini skeptic turned believer

it is kind of a relief reading this because I have a tendancy to buy things and after two weeks not use them ever again so hopefully my iPad Mini will keep me entertained for the next year.

gotta say, I liked the size but everything else not so much... just the opposite of you I suppose....

Duwsh said:

it is kind of a relief reading this because I have a tendancy to buy things and after two weeks not use them ever again so hopefully my iPad Mini will keep me entertained for the next year.

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I bought mine on release day and I can honestly say there have been very few times (such as popping out to the pub for example) where it hasn't been somewhere within arms reach since then. It's just so damn portable.

The size and design are the only main pros of the iPad mini. After a few weeks of owning the mini I couldn't convince myself that a repackaged iPad 2 with old components was worth $350+ with taxes. The iPad 4 is heavier, but its not unwieldy like people on here make it seem, and other than that the 4 is as close to a perfect tablet that we have.

joshwithachance said:

The size and design are the only main pros of the iPad mini. After a few weeks of owning the mini I couldn't convince myself that a repackaged iPad 2 with old components was worth $350+ with taxes. The iPad 4 is heavier, but its not unwieldy like people on here make it seem, and other than that the 4 is as close to a perfect tablet that we have.

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What are the old components?
The iPad mini has...
Better WiFi
better front and back cameras HD even on the front
Better connector - lightening
Better speakers
LTE, if you get the cellular version
Better screen - even if it is the same resolution
The only thing that is from the iPad 2 is the A5 chip, which is perfectly suitable for a device this size.

^none of those items in our list are major incentives. The iPad mini is indeed a restructured iPad 2. I returned mine not just because of the lack of retina screen, but in fact it was too hard to not see how I was really paying for another iPad 2 (iPad 2 64GB 3G) I recently sold at a huge loss.

The cameras and FaceTime hd cameras are added in because it would be just a regular iPad 2 if not for the "upgrades"

Anti-Lucifer said:

The iPad mini is indeed a restructured iPad 2.

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Your current car is indeed a restructured Model A.
Your current home is indeed a restructured hut.
Your current bong is indeed a restructured pipe.

OdT22 said:

Your current car is indeed a restructured Model A.
Your current home is indeed a restructured hut.
Your current bong is indeed a restructured pipe.

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Therefore the mini is a restructured iPad 2. Case closed!

Anti-Lucifer said:

Therefore the mini is a restructured iPad 2. Case closed!

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Then the same argument goes for the 4, yes?

Great post, OP. I think the weight makes a difference in ways you wouldn't think about it, such as those outlined in your post.

cnev3 said:

I used to think the iPad mini was just an inferior device to the 10" iPad and a misstep on Apples part. Well I decided to give one a try and i'm sold.

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I'm glad to see that some Apple fans are capable of changing their opinions. Hopefully this is a lesson learned and people won't act like such jerks anymore whenever someone dares to mention touchscreen Macs or larger iPhone options.

So basically it's better to buy the 21" iMac over the 27" and so on makes no sense,bigger is better period the mini looks like a child's toy.Also my iPad 4 is wicked fast could not imagine making a old spec purchase with smaller crappy screen. Now don't be offended just my two cents.

Admittedly I was disappointed with the mini but after checking it out, I bought won. I use it 90% of the time at home. My main Internet browser was my MacBook Air. Not anymore.

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cnev3 said:

Apple products have the best resale value. How much did you sell your mini for?

And I think you're overlooking the main point of the mini, which is the form factor. If you're only comparing hardware specs, then it's obvious that the product isn't for you. It's like saying the Macbook Air is a bad purchase when you can have a Macbook Pro with a discreet GPU and Retina for only a little bit more. Both products have their purpose.

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Exactly. The air is only 150 less than the MacBook Pro. MacBook pro spec wise is superior but sales suggest people are willing to sacrifice for weight.

I've owned iPad, iPad 2, iPad 3, and now the mini. It's by far the most used iPad I've ever owned. It's size and weight makes all the difference. Bigger isn't always better, it's all about how you use it The mini is much more enjoyable to use than a full size/weight iPad for me. I do miss the retina screen at times, but the tradeoff for now is acceptable since I get more use out of the mini. There were times I was reading magazines on my iPad 3 when my hand or arm would get tired (I know it's not heavy, but you know it's not comfortable to hold for a long period of time), it would feel top heavy, I'd have to readjust holding it in different positions. Just like Apple did to the iPod, some people loved the classic full sized iPod and would never think about a mini/nano, but if history is any indicator of how things will play out, the mini is going to be very BIG.

I'm loving the mini more and more every day.

Tonight I used it to record live sound using auria. 30-40 Mins of testing(never used the app before in that setting), an hour and a half of uninterrupted recording, two tracks for left and right channel, used only 10% battery and the whole thing fit in a small camera bag. I don't have the interface for more than 2 tracks right not but I might invest later.
First time doing that. Pretty impressed.

Also, I've been taking it everywhere. Even use it as a GPS.

Tutone said:

So basically it's better to buy the 21" iMac over the 27" and so on makes no sense,bigger is better period the mini looks like a child's toy.Also my iPad 4 is wicked fast could not imagine making a old spec purchase with smaller crappy screen. Now don't be offended just my two cents.

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Do you pick up your iMacs and move them around? Why don't you compare a more sensible comparison do a MacBook Air vs A MacBook Pro?

Oh yeah because that comparison isn't stupid. Don't be offended by my two cents...

I would never pick the mini over the 4 until it was at least remotely even close to being as good. the mini is a huge downgrade in my opinion because of the display alone. once the mini gets a screen that is comparable, it will be a different story but in my opinion the screen is the most important feature in a tablet and the mini simply lacks in that department.

as for the air/pro comparison, that is a much harder decision. I went back and forth for a month but since I was limited to the base model of either, I opted for the pro just because the ram can be upgraded. I could not see myself being stuck with the base 4gb. the first thing I did after receiving the pro was add 16gb of ram and 256bg ssd. I also wanted the DVD drive as I didn't want to use an external. those are just my opinions and I can see someone choosing either way.

I travel a lot so weight is important. I moved to a MBA from my old MBP and the weight difference in my bag was amazing. I bought an iPad 1 to try it out and see if I liked the concept and it became my most used device. When I tried the mini, the weight just blew my mind. The screen resolution is the same as my old iPad 1 but the picture is better, colours richer and overall a real step up. Speed is great and now I can slide it in with my MBA and the combination is unbelievably light and battery life is great too.

Some want ultimate power, some want ultimate lightness and battery life. The MBA and iPad mini combined with my iPhone put me out on the road with an excellent set of tools. I know Apple will add retina at some point when the price point and power use suits this new form but for now they were able to drop the entry price to the iPad ecosystem and produce something different from the full size iPads. Same thing happened when the iPod mini came out, complaints about the small capacity but it sold like hot cakes because people liked the design.

This time around I went for more capacity and cellular because that adds more mobility along with the smaller size. The full size iPad with the same capacity and cellular connectivity is a big jump in price and twice the weight so I made my choice. Choice is good, choose what you want based on your needs but I love my mini.

Tutone said:

So basically it's better to buy the 21" iMac over the 27" and so on makes no sense,bigger is better period the mini looks like a child's toy.Also my iPad 4 is wicked fast could not imagine making a old spec purchase with smaller crappy screen. Now don't be offended just my two cents.

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The Mini is just as fast as the 4 in everyday use. The screen is far from 'crappy'. The Mini does not get hot, nor feel l like you are carrying a kitchen tile around with you. The Mini exudes Apple - thinner, lighter, more beautiful, 2 speakers, chamfered edge, and looks far more modern than the iPad 4, regardless of retina or not...it is this years best iPad!

The Mini has won me over too. It's just so portable and honestly, when I am using it as an ebook, which I often do, the page I have on the screen is same size as the page I read off on my big iPad.

Both devices are absolutely wonderful.

I made the mistake when I bought my first iPad, the iPad 1, of not getting 3G, thinking that I'd never take it out of the house and just use my iPhone when out and about.

Turned out I did have it out a fair amount where I couldn't get WiFi even here in London, so when O2 announced PAYG, I ponied up for the iPad 2 with 3G. But now that I have a Mini, I doubt the iPad 2 will ever leave the house again.

I also took the plunge and bougt a 64gb white mini today. After i took it for a test drive in the store i liked how it felt in my hands and how convenient it is to hold. I dont know if i woulld notice a difference on the screen quality simply because i do have low vision but we shall find out